Glenn McGrath's uncanny ability to identify his targets was in evidence again today at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

McGrath has recently made a habit of predicting at the start of a series which batsmen will fall under his spell.

In recent years he's labelled Brian Lara, Michael Atherton and Sourav Ganguly as players he will dismiss.

And each time he's been on the money - particularly with Lara and other lefthanders.

Another leftie was added to the McGrath trophy cabinet today when opener Gary Kirsten fell to the pace bowler as South Africa managed just 3-89 on the rain-interrupted first day of the second Test.

McGrath warned Kirsten he was going after him and so far has claimed his scalp two out of three times in the series.

Altogether, McGrath has dismissed Kirsten six times in 10 Tests.

"I'm happy to come out and say these things - if the batsmen are good enough to see me off then good on them," McGrath said.

McGrath said he makes his calls to "get them thinking" and exert psychological pressure.

He also likes to target key players such as Kirsten, who is South Africa's most capped player.

"He's thought of in our team as a big player for them.

"If we can knock him over early it opens up the rest of their batting."

Kirsten fell today when he dabbled at a widish ball and flicked it onto his stumps.

In Adelaide, he was trapped lbw by a full toss which he misjudged.

"The balls I've got him out with haven't been perfect deliveries but the end result was what I was after," McGrath said.

While McGrath was the hero for Australia, removing opener Herschelle Gibbs to finish with 2-28 for the day, he praised the effort of Andy Bichel in his first Test in exactly a year.

"Andy Bichel bowled exceptionally well and was unlucky not to have a couple of wickets," he said referring to the two chances put down off the Queenslander's bowling.

The two spills off Jacques Kallis were compensated by an eye-popping effort from Matthew Hayden to get rid of Boeta Dippenaar off the bowling of Brett Lee.

"It was nearly the catch of the season," McGrath said.

"In fact, Ricky Ponting said it was the catch of the season, beating his catch off Dippenaar in Adelaide."

© 2001 AAP